Poll: Microsoft Surface Pro 2 or Surface 2, which will be yours?

Today, Microsoft unveiled the follow up to last year’s Surface models with the Surface Pro 2 and Surface 2. The latter used to be called Surface RT, but Microsoft has since dropped that from the name, streamlining things for consumers.

The Surface Pro 2 starts at $899 while the Surface 2 is much cheaper at $449. The specs are listed below before you answer the big question: Are you going to get one? Or are you waiting for Nokia’s supposed RT tablet, the Lumia 2520?

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Poll: Microsoft Surface Pro 2 or Surface 2, which will be yours?

Two things I'd like to know. Are the cameras any better than the crap they put in the first Gen? And id like a comparison of the Tegra 4 speed in the Surface 2 compared to what many of us see in the current iPad model.

I just want to see Surface 2 in action. I love the Surface capabilities, but the Tegra 3's lackluster performance and the need for optimization in RT kept me from having an always-excellent experience. With 8.1 and Tegra 4, I have hope these issues will be laid to rest. If IE11 is less stuttery, I will be double excited. BTW, what happened to the claims that Qualcomm was manufacturing chips for Surface? Did something change? Or perhaps they are in charge of a 7" tablet? I'm a big fan of Qualcomm and their chips. Hope to see a 7" Surface tablet soon. Perhaps Microsoft are waiting until the spring to push that - keep from galvanizing Surface 1 stock clear-out.

I think the Qualcomm CPU is destined for the 7inch Surface mini you mention.

But yeah, I feel the same as you do. Tegra 3 and v1 issues with WinRT kind of put a bad taste in my mouth for the initial Surface RT. Given that Intel Atom tablets have been just as cheap/light/efficient, I've been pretty down on RT tablets. But Tegra 4 and 8.1 might change my mind.

BTW, They didn't mention anything about the 7" Surface?? I'll be getting the Surface 2 as i like my Surface RT and hope to add the Surface Pro for business purposes later on. I just would like the 7" as a Xmas gift for the GF & lil Me!

Correct, you don't have to develop seperate apps for both platforms (or all 3 when the X-One comes out). They all use the same Windows Store with the same apps. The only difference is that, as Daniel said already, is that the Pro is an actual laptop, it can run desktop apps without a problem while on the other one (hmm, not sure what to call it now since it doesn't have it's own name, before it was RT) you can ONLY do Windows Store apps.

The store apps are generally the same on RT and 8. However that's not 100% true as x86 or x64 apps don't have full compatibility on ARM chipsets. However, Microsoft hardware division heads were talking about true uniformity across mobiles and PC, so apps will be totally transferable across platforms.

missionsparta is correct here. When I first got my Surface RT, I ran into that. And no, I'm not talking about one of the Desktop apps that are avialable for purchase through the store. It was a Metro app. From MS no less...

I'm right there with you. I want one of the 8gb versions because of business needs (I want it to replace my work PC) but its all contingent on price. I'm sure there will be other tablets with W8.1 pro that will also fit that bill. I'm waiting on pricing before my final desicion.

I'd love a 128GB with 8GB of RAM. But currently, it seems that you can only get 8 gig with the 256GB. And I bet they'll charge at least 1200$. And with their conversion rates that will end up around 1150€...

What good is the second iteration of the RT, really? It's $450 for the tablet, and the Type Cover would take it to $580. ASUS is going to launch its Bay Trail-powered (meaning x86-compatible) T100 for $350, and it's goign to include the keyboard dock and Office 2013. I just don't see why someone would choose any RT device (especially one that is $100 more expensive and would cost $230 more after the keyboard inclusion) over that kind of a deal.

Even if you THINK x86 is useless for you, what's the advantage of the Surface? We're talking about comparable battery life and the same app store for $100 less, and you get the dock, so you don't have to worry about buying it. I mean, all the Surface offers over the T100 would be the kickstand, and I wouldn't pay $230 for that.

Well I could use the International calling and 200Gb storage. Those are super awesome features. I only use Metro Apps these days because everything I need there is a decent Metro App for it.
I paid $300 for my current Vivobook and although I like Asus, I like the Surface design and the added benefit of owning one. Not to mention a kick ass Full HD Display
To each their own then.

The (artificial) inability to run regular Windows apps is a huge drawback of RT. The only non-Metro programs MS allows are their own (office, IE, system apps). There're no other browsers, no OSS apps (at least not without jailbreaking the device after each reboot). The app store sucks rocks; the few quality apps are mostly from Microsoft themselves where the free versions are ad-ridden (funnily enough only for their own other apps which one probably already has anyway) until one pays a subscription (yeah, sure, $$/month for getting rid of ads in solitaire...). So if all one does is toying with office (without macros) or surfing the internet (using IE) or watching Flash videos the Surface (non-Pro) are fine devices -- forget them for anything else though.

I like RT because I don't need to be too much bothered with virus. I use it mostly for browsing and reading/printing documents. The fact that it supports flash makes it a nice device for my kid to play online games in a browser. I actually don't want an x86 device for the fear of virus. If had to run antivirus, it better be equiped with a powerful chip. Atom won't be enough. Plus no atom device is coming with a good screen. It is good that we have choices for Windows/RT.

Because I've had two crap computers from Asus, and everything I have ever bought manufactured by Microsoft, is bullet proof. All my Zunes, my Surface, and Xbox's. I know others had Xbox issues, but in 6 years, I've had it die once (amd trust me....it got used to all hell) and Microsoft had me a new one in my hands in less than 48 hours.

IDK what kind of silly crap you bought form ASUS, because I've never known a single person to have an ASUS device fail. My dad's bought their motherboards for years (has an ASUS-branded video card as well). My ASUS board's over 4 years old and running strong. My brother-in-law's ASUS laptop is good as well, and my stepmom just got a Haswell ASUS laptop.

Personally, my Zunes were great (except for the one that got stolen...it got stolen), but I had two Xboxes get the RRoD, and they BOTH had their disc drives go out.

Every brand has people who have had bad experiences with their products. I've had two ASUS motherboards, and both of them have been awful; I will never buy another ASUS-branded motherboard. That said, I did not hesitate to sell ASUS products when I had a job selling computers, as I recognized that for most people they are solid products.

I know, that's what I was getting at. There are brands where issues are frequent, and there are brands where they are less-frequent. In the case of HP, I've seen almost any one of their laptops someone I know has bought has had problems. I know all products have SOME problems, as do all brands, it's just a statement that while the OP might have had issues, I don't beleive it indicative of the ASUS brand as a whole.

Similarly, whne someone says that Android (which I am not a fan of) is vrius-riddled, I laugh, because it's not. When people can show a legitimate pattern of poor quality, it's one thing, but some folks irratoinally hold one issue (or two) against a company forever. My dad's never boguht another MSI product because the last board he got from them (yeeeeeeaaars ago) had problems like crazy (it was a product-wide issue, I think he said, not an isolated incident).

Hey, don't need to attack a guy for having a different set of luck than you. PC's have a problem of randomly breaking. However, the reason I'd take a Surface over the competition is because A) it is Microsoft making it and they do have a good track record of replacing components without a second thought (ie. the original covers and the original Xbox (oh and that costed them a lot, lets see if they learned)). Second, the magnesium they used doesn't look like it will break from a common fall, the thing screams durability. As for me though, I may just pick up a new keyboard (the backlight screams "get me!") and keep with my current gen. RT that has done everything I've thrown at it while surviving quite a few falls.

I'm with you, my TF101 crapped out at 11 months, sound wouldnt work and couldnt restore it or anything would just stay on the boot screen, traded it in for a TF 300 would rboot every 4 hours or so, taded it in for my Vivo tab RT and got the ghost touch issue made it unusable. Lukily 8.1 seemed to fix the issue though it wont respond sometimes in the charms menu. I am done buying ASUS products.

Personally, with the Asus I would wait until it has been on the market for awhile before buying. I was an early adopter of the Transformer Prime, and I can tell you that they coupled a great screen with the then cutting edge Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, with some cheap, abysmally slow storage. The end result is a device that has severe lag issues, especially when downloading updates or doing anything requiring writes to storage. Just because the amount of storage is sufficient doesn't mean it is quality storage.

Prove any of those points. We don't know the heat of noise from either device, though Bay Trail tablets are fanless, so they'll have the same passive cooling (meaning noise differences will likely be negligible). We don't know the heat difference.

Now, thinner and lighter? Well, we can actually research those. Now, the dimensions and such with the T100 aren't posted on most articles, but one I found gave us 1.2 pounds and 6.7 mm of thickness. The Surface 2 is reported at 8.9 mm of thickness (which is thicker than the T100), and its weight is reported at 676 grams. I had to go grab a unit converter from the Interwebz because I don't know the gram-to-pound conversion rate, but 1.2 pounds is translated to 544.31 grams. 676 grams comes out as 1.49 pounds, making the Surface 2 heavier than the T100 as well.

So, is the Surface 2 cooler (temperature-wise) than the T100? No idea, as neither have been reviewed. Quieter? Again, no idea. Thinner? We know that to be false. Lighter? Again, it's not. The last thing is the battery, which the RT and Atom devices were comparable before. This will have to be tested, as rated battery life varies by product, I imagine, but Engadget reported that the Surface 2 is supposed to last around 10 hours for video playback, while the T100 article I read said about 11 hours of life (though it wasn't said if that's for video playback as well). Considering the T100 has a lower-resolution display, it'll probably have a bit better battery life, I think, so that 10-vs.-11 comparison might be on the same scale of life.

Anyway, to again sum up:

--Heat and noise are not measurable yet, but should be about the same, I'd imagine.
--Weight and size go to the T100
--Battery has to be measured on a level playing field, but allegedly goes to the T100.

The measurements you provided were clearly without the keyboard attachment so invalid. With keyboard, the T100 weight is doubled to 2.4 pounds. With keyboard, Surface Pro is lighter and thinner plus it has more RAM and a significantly better camera.http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/asus-transformer-book-t100/4505-3126_7-35827544.html
All that said, the Surface RT is lighter and thinner than the Pro.
Plus the RT (Surface 2) has no fan at all so it generates no heat and makes no noise. So logic states if the T100 has a fan, it will run hotter and generate more noise than an RT.
You asked why would "someone" want an RT device over the T100. Asked and answered. You may not value any of those attributes but that is a different issue.

Screen resolution (and probably the screen in general) on the T100 is not as good, the T100 doesn't come with Outlook, and 200 GB of skydrive is a great feature on the RT. I would really like to see some comparisons of the Bay Trail processor and the Tegra, but I'm not sure how that can be done given the different architectures. The additional cost of the keyboard is a valid issue, although the ability to use your keyboard as a huge touchpad is pretty awesome so maybe it is worth the extra cost. To me it comes down to legacy software, which is important. I run a lot of engineering programs, and I am not sure there are good options for AutoCAD, SolidWorks, MatLab, etc. Maybe there are...I honestly don't know. I will probably go with the Pro if I can find the cash.

I love my surface rt I have now, saying that, the 200gb SkyDrive sucks if its only free for 2yrs. I mean you fill it up then you have to pay or possibly lose all your data? Nah I'll keep my items stored locally.

Yeah, because there's no way to take your 200 gb of data and download it to an external hard drive at the end of the 2 year period. [/sarcasm]
So you get 2 yrs of a service that costs $100/yr. If you don't want it/wouldn't use it, then it isn't a selling point, but for some it might be.

Yeah, it's easy to take the Pro whne the money's there. However, like the person below your comment said, the SkyDrive storage is a temporary offering (then again, 2 years is probably about the max life for tablets anyway for most consumers). I don't think it's something the majority of people will use anyway, and those who WOULD use it probably go for the Pro.

So I don't think that the SkyDrive is a BIG incentive, since most might not touch it.

BOTH! These look awesome. I love my Surface Pro, so I can't even begin to imagine my love for Pro 2. Plus the Surface 2 looks awesome enough to give it a go. Could be a great device for consumption. Plus it has the ability to get work done when needed.

Third world countries would be lucky to have me, what exactly did you not agree with in Sam's posting? It's just unusual and usually reserved for harsh or out of place comments, which Sam is not doing. Feel free to explain or ignore.

Lmao sure, it was a joke, and you are a bit dense, lol sad, actually I am offended, you offend me and say no offense? wth. Anyway this is now all ot. You have still not told us why you did not agree and at this point I wouldn't care for your opinion anyway.

Definitely not the Surface 2. No pen Input ruins that for me. And well the whole RT thing (they didn't even announce/demo any new apps). The Pro is a possibility but my laptop is still chugging along fine so I can wait.

Not getting a surface. The most interesting things to me are the accessories which look very nice but apart from that, the internal upgrades are nothing out if the ordinary and the Pro is disappointingly the same size and weight as the original. Biggest issue though is the lack of magnets in the covers to attach them to the devices themselves, can't stand they way they just dangle. Overall they do look good but not for me.

Where has the thinness/weight of them been announced? I didn't see that here and my first thought was, "I can't vote in this poll till I know the size and weight!"
Not sure what you're talking about as far as magnets go. You mean the magnets in the touch/type covers? They are awesome they way they snap on and off and flip over into a cover.

Only thing that worries me about Nokia coming to the table, is the exclusive thing they pull. I wish there were more big name apps in the marketplace. I could see getting the 2 and loving it, only to find out Nokia comes out and every app I want is am exclusive to them.

I hope the Nokia tablet is going to feature a proper name instead of a random string of numbers. Why wouldn't they at least give it a name other than "Lumia" to distinguish it from the Windows Phone line?

Also, how long is it before the merger is in full effect? It seems odd that a single company would be releasing duplicate devices. Is the Lumia tablet too far along to just ditch? I'm curious to know what they're planning.

Did the MS deal also included tablets? If so, would MS delay or decrease/downplay Nokia tablets usefulness so their homebrewed tablets don't look less appealing?
I hope not but corporations are inherently not honest entities.

Btw, @wpcentral:
"Skype-to-landlines for one year; 200GB of SkyDrive for 2 years"
For Surface Pro only? The Dutch website states that deal applies for both the Surface Pro 2 and Surface 2. So it may differ per country.

I picked none of the above/waiting because what im looking for is basically the surface pro 2 in a 8in. form factor. I want the super portability with the power. You may say i cant get any real work done on a screen so small but everywhere i go to do work usually has a monitor handy. That means all i would need is a foldable keyboard and a mini display wire.
I am disappointed in the surface 2's pricing. Its too expensive (with that being said, i do own a surface rt that i bought first week for higher than that lol). if i had to choose, i would pick the pro 2 but i hate the thickness (that is not what she said). Think i'll go check it out in person though.

I've been debating in my head going with a Surface 2 Pro vs the new Lenovo Yoga Pro, and for me, I just see more use out of a hybrid ultrabook that can fold into a psuedo-tablet than a small tablet that can sit in as an ultrabook. So I will likely be going the Yoga Pro route as I prioritize the 13" screen and full keyboard over the size and weight of the Surface Pro. I may look into an Surface RT up the road though for a pure consumption device when i just want that, but for my 1 single main device, I still need a laptop more than I need a tablet.

Me too. I was looking at the Yoga 2 Pro and the Surface 2 Pro. I was leaning towards the Yoga 2 Pro as well, since I already have a Surface RT, but this Surface 2 Pro announcement impresses me (especially all the accessories they are releasing for it which will really open it up). I also have a feeling that the Surface 2 Pro will be a few hundred dollars cheaper than the Yoga 2 Pro. We'll see when they're all announced.

The Surface Pro 2 is so close to what I want. They just need to reduce it by 2"s. The Haswell processor makes all the difference with this tablet. The powered keyboard and dock accessories are great. I just can't carry something 10"s around with me all day. Or can I? Come on with the minis Microsoft.

My RT is wonderful. I would still use my ultrabook more than the surface pro, so there is no need to upgrade there. My RT has been very good to me and I will get a surface 2 over the pro. Any application that I would want to install that is not in the microsoft store, I would rather use on my desktop or laptop. In any circumstance where I do need those applications and I am away from those machines, I will just remote into them from the surface RT.
I just do not get the abuse that windows rt gets. I mean, I complained a lot about ios and my ipad, but I still understood its limitations from the beginning and learned to work with and around them to the design of the ipad. Obviously, I sold my ipad because I wanted a window environment like an ipad. Hence, the reason I like the surface rt. The surface 2 is a worthy upgrade.
In closing... Why do we bash so much in terms of product upgrades. Yes, people are way more critical of microsoft, then google, down to apple. We are the consumer, the customer. We do not have to be on their terms when we upgrade and what we get. But when we do, get what you want... What works for you and thats that. Screw what others think.

Lol do some research first please. 4G/LTE + GPS coming in January. Lmfao waiting for the iPad mini announcement thats a good one, here ill give you the annoncement myself.......iPad Mini with RETINA DISPLAY OMG - and outdated iPad 4 CPU...There you go.
Youve probably never even used NFC.

I'm keeping my original Surface but will be picking up some of the new accessories. I'm torn between going for the battery cover but don't really need it since I can get through my regular day on a charge, or the new touch cover but I can only hope that backlight doesn't make it where I can't get through the day on a charge.
The docking station looks nice too but it's another thing I don't need since I use my desktop when I'm in front of my large screens.

I still think I'd wait for a baytrail tablet..dell venue pro looks promising to me..surface is good, but i think that the price that its demanding is a bit high..i could get a haswell running ultrabook for the price of the 512gb 8gigs ram..which i am assuming is close to $1300-$1500..add the cost of these irresistible covers (at least one of them all) and i could get a lenovo thinkpad 2.. :D just saying.. :) i could be wrong too.. :P feel free to express your opinion on this. :)

Gonna be honest here, MS is pricing too high the both the Surface 2 and the Pro model, while I've defended the Xbox One pricing as accurate given the inclusion of Kinect 2.0, the Surface 2 offers nothing groundbreaking to justify costing 200+ dollars to any of the myriad Android tablets around, in fact, being W8.1 RT, offers LESS app variety than any run-of-the-mill Android tablet. And the Surface 2 Pro, while I don't see it as a tablet but instead as a portable computer, still is a bit too high, Microsoft should sell it between the 600-700$ range, to really turn heads and ensure a volume of sales, and bring more people, more quickly, to Windows 8.1.

The pricing is pretty good actually, including the conversion over to UK prices.
Someone worked out the software package being offered along with the Skydrive and Skype totals about $30 MORE than the retail price of the Surface 2 if you were to buy them seperatly, so really you are getting a Surface 2 for free.
I will be interesting to see what Nokia bring to the table, plus I do not rate the Asus tablet spoken about, as not had a good track record with Asus devices, plus its not a full HD screen which is worth the extra , plus the surface is made of metal so should be harder wearing
Kimbie

With all the people telling everyone they don't need RT and it should die, then the respondes from quite a few of us that have them and love them, I think I have come to realize what the big diff is between the two groups that the Pro people don't realize. Most people with the Pro are looking more for a laptop experience and most with the RT are looking more the the tablet/iPad experience. The RT people seem to get why the Pro people would be looking for a laptop, but the Pro people can not fathom why someone would be happy with the tablet experience.

I bought a refurb Surface RT for $199. It's a great little device. I find it very responsive--not sure what all the complaints are about, honestly. Looking forward to 8.1 with Outlook and other improvements. App selection isn't stellar, for sure, but otherwise its a nice tablet. Since Windows 8 is going to sell millions of copies just because of it's inclusion on laptops and desktops I can't imagine that the app selection isn't going to improve dramatically in the coming months/year or two.

I must really be messed up, because I'm also planning to buy the Pro 2 to be primarily a desktop with the docking station ;-).

Can anyone make a case for buying an RT unit anymore? The ecosystem isn't there as an entertainment device, and the value as a device capable of running Windows programs either. Its basically a media tablet, that there is poor external support for, and a copy of Office. The Public already rejected this concept.

I have to wait. Not have as to say. But with the holidays coming and from the looks of it, there is going to be a few other tablets running Win8.1. I want to see what comes out. Mostly I really would rather have the Nokia if it does come out and if the Photos of it are real then I, like the looks of it much better than the Surface.

Hmmm, I would like to get the Surface Pro 2 but I'm going to wait a bit and see what else is announced when Windows 8.1 launches.The new dock and covers are very nice though, and certainly help differentiate it from other devices. They're all very pricey though, £100 for even the touch cover?! Ehh... You should just get one with it, orr at least release a cheaper, thicker, version for £50.

I do wish there was a true laptop cover that didn't require the kickstand to stay upright though. Right now I'm laid on my bed with my Acer W510 almost opened up to 180 degree as that works great for me. The Surface simply isn't capable of that with the kickstand...

Will have to wait and see what Samsung, Lenovo, et al have to show for themselves next month to decide whether to jump in to Surface or not. I do like what I see though, definitely a much better proposition than the original Surface Pro.

The Surface 2 is also very nice but at £350 is £50 too expensive. Should've started at £299 with the original Surface RT dropping to £199 (They'd shift a lot of their inventory if they did that. Seems like a no brainer to just put them on firesale) to really give gereat value for money and get people on board.

If Microsoft and Nokia are the only people still making RT tablets then maybe at least one of them should be priced competitively. At least compete with the Nexus 10. I know that's a cheap plastic Samsung but it's a great device and a great price with a much more developed ecosystem.

The Surface 2 would have been a great tablet for my mum but for the same price and cheaper we'll be able to get the next gen off Atom tablets and convertibles (look at that cool Asus one for $350) that come with keyboards, are more powerful, have just as good battery life (better with battery in the keyboard too) and are compatible with all the old programs too. Just seems silly to spend $100 more for RT and no keyboard.

I really do wonder what their plan is with RT. I think both Surface RT devices are nothing more than pet projects that are just there as placeholders until the desktop is gone. Surely it's better to just get people using them but hey...

I'm assuming next year the new touch cover will have multiple layouts using a backlight system (and maybe e-ink) rather than this odd idea of having specialist touch covers for different purposes.

My lappy just died and would love to go for a Surface 2 pro. But alas I dont live in US, Canada or (so called) first world country. So, its Nokia for me even if I wanted anything else. Love Nokia even more for their thought for India and other developing nations.

Why are some Windows Phone 8 apps not on Windows 8 tablets? Like modern combat 4 or nova 3. I thought it was the same port? Port for one and it will work on the other. Alot of games aren't making it to Windows 8. Windows 8 could use all the help when it comes to apps. You think Windows Phone 8 is bad, try Windows 8. It is barren!

I bought last March 2013 a Surface Pro with the 99$ Microsoft Complete warranty. I have some burned pixels on my screen. Do you think they will replace my Surface 1 with a Surface 2 if I wait couple of weeks or months ? Anybody have a clue about this ? I'm sure they will stop producing Surface 1 soon, so I guess they will have to give Surface 2 ?

Well, I jus preordered a 256 model of the Pro2. I would have liked the 528, but they don't have orders open for it yet, and the price difference is just too much. I'll buy a terrabyte slimline hard drive instead, to go with it. Also ordered the purple type cover. I have a Pro 128 model that I'll sell. I love it but want more power, more battery life, more storage, etc.

I think microsoft is really screwing up the pricing again. The old RT should be dropped to $199 (They already took a write off for the inventory, they might as well sell as many as possible), andd the new one should be 349$. There are too many full windows 8 tablets around the $500 mark which makes the surface 2 a tough sell. I'm sure the product is fantastic but microsoft needs to take a page from amazon and sell the hardware as cheap as possible to get some momentum going.